1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a patch antenna structure, and a method of construction thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
The uses of antennas continue to increase with reductions in antenna size and cost, and the development of complimentary microwave designs. For size reduction, xe2x80x9cpatchxe2x80x9d antennas are of particular interest. Patch antennas generally comprise a dielectric substrate, an electrically conductive ground layer disposed below the dielectric substrate, and an electrically conductive patch antenna element disposed over the dielectric substrate. The patch antenna element may be coupled to an RF feed means using any of several conventional methods such as a coaxial cable. A multiple frequency antenna may be constructed by xe2x80x9cstackingxe2x80x9d patch elements with intermediate dielectric layers.
Typical prior art methods of mounting the patch antenna over the dielectric substrate employ a frame mechanism to hold the patches. Alternative methods have patches etched on a printed circuit board, which itself requires a support structure. Accordingly, these and other prior art methods typically rely on screws, plastic inserts or mounting frames for attaching the patch antenna, using manual assembly techniques.
This invention relates to an improved patch antenna assembly which reduces the cost of manufacturing antennas by reducing or eliminating extra parts used to hold the patches. This is accomplished by reducing the number of patch elements by forming them from a single metal sheet thereby allowing machine assembly and corresponding reductions in assembly time.
These and other features of the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following drawings.